Sick Days and Sleepless Nights
by marvellust
Summary: Just a one-shot for all those ill people out there. You gotta love the flu.


**This is for all those poor people out there, who, like me, have entered into the new year with the flu. This one-shot actually has my illness to thank personally, because if I hadn't been up at 2am last night puking my guts up (yum) it wouldn't have been created. It's nothing much really, just a little light fluff that will hopefully make someone feel better. Wish I had a Naomi to take care of me. I'm off to overdose on paracetamol, hopefully today I'll be able to keep it down...damn my weak immune system...**

**Definitely don't own Skins, but I do have a shiny new laptop and Juno on DVD so I'm all good.**

Emily sat up in bed for the third time in two hours, the familiar warm feeling taking over her stomach before acid rushed up her throat, and she just managed to reach for the bucket (endearingly nicknamed the puke-pot by Naomi) beside her bed before the contents of her stomach erupted out of her chapped lips and landed in it. She groaned quietly, trying not to breathe in the smell of fresh puke whilst simultaneously spitting the remainder of it from her mouth into the bucket.

For not the first time in the last few days, she wondered how it was possible to throw up at all when she hadn't eaten in what seemed like forever. She shoved the bucket onto the bedside table and pulled one of her hands through her hair, which was getting increasingly dirty. Naomi turned over on the other side of the bed, and began to lovingly rub her hand up and down the redhead's back. 'Baby, what can I do? Tell me how to make you feel better, I'll do anything.'

Naomi had learnt very quickly since Emily had caught the flu that she hated anyone watching her puke, so she would wait it out every time it happened and then talk to her. It pained Naomi beyond belief to see Emily ill like this. When she had woken up in the middle of the night a few days ago with a sky-high temperature and shivers, Naomi had panicked. She had probably been over the top and was slightly embarrassed when the very tired and bored looking night doctor that she had rushed Emily to had explained it was flu, but Emily had reassured her with a gentle squeeze of her hand and said that she would have done exactly the same had it been Naomi who was ill.

Since then, she had been doing her best to make her Emily feel as best as she could. She made Lemsip drinks 'til they came out of her ears, she rented Gossip Girl from the video store because, despite how much she hated it, she knew it made Emily happy. She bought pop-tarts and Curlywurlys from the supermarket, and magazines, and flowers and teddy bears. She hadn't slept properly for a few nights, constantly listening to make sure Emily was ok. Emily had broken her temperature yesterday, which had been a relief at first, but this had unfortunately led to more puking. Tonight had been the worst, which probably meant it was coming to an end.

Naomi sat up completely in the bed, taking Emily into her arms. 'You don't want to hug me, I must smell awful. You don't have to look after me, just go to sleep,' Emily croaked, trying to pull away. But Naomi stopped her, crossed her own legs and pulled Emily into her lap properly, so the redhead's face was snuggled into her neck. 'Don't be ridiculous sweetheart,' Naomi whispered, gently playing with Emily's hair. 'I'm here to look after you always, and you're not about to stop me. But, I have to agree...you do smell a bit.' Naomi giggled when Emily groaned again and shoved her lightly. 'Joking, joking. But, I have an idea. Why don't I give you a bath? My mum used to do it for me when I was tiny, it will make you feel better I promise.'

Emily snuggled her face further into Naomi's neck, taking in a deep breath of that beautiful smell that always made her feel calm, and nodded her head. 'Ok honey. You get undressed and I'll run the bath.' Naomi gently slid Emily off of her lap and got out of the bed. Despite being ill, Emily couldn't help watching Naomi's bare legs wander into the bathroom, lit up by the moonlight streaming through the curtains. She snapped herself out of her daydream and began to shakily get undressed as she heard the water start to run.

Five minutes later, Naomi re-entered the bedroom, and for once could ignore her lustful thoughts about a very naked Emily because of how sick her girlfriend obviously felt. She scooped her up and kissed her on the forehead as she carried her into the bathroom, gently placing her on the ground but keeping a hold of her waist in case she lost balance.

Emily managed her first proper smile in three days when she saw the bath. It was full to the brim with bubbles and smelled divine, and she immediately felt better just looking at it. Naomi kissed her on the forehead again and then helped her in. It was the perfect temperature, and the heat enveloped her limbs and encased her body in a safety blanket, where the stupid flu couldn't get to her.

After a few minutes of silent relaxing, in which time Naomi fell in love with her girlfriend all over again because of the look of pure bliss on her face, Emily opened her eyes and silently asked Naomi to join her. The blonde took off her t-shirt and knickers and slipped into the other side of the tub, shivering slightly at the sudden temperature change and smiling at Emily. She grabbed a flannel and Emily's favourite soap, scooted towards her, and began to wash the redhead's body as gently as she could. She caressed every inch of her gorgeous flesh, making sure Emily was comfortable. It wasn't a sexual action, just full of care, and waves of love emanated off of the blonde. She then helped Emily turn around so her back was to her, and she gently washed her hair and rinsed it out, occasionally kissing the base of Emily's neck because she couldn't resist the pale flesh. Emily sighed with appreciation and reached her hand behind her to find Naomi's, squeezing it briefly to say thanks.

Naomi stepped out of the bath first, holding up a towel for Emily with one hand, and helping her get out with the other, smirking slightly when she caught Emily staring at her dripping body. 'Even when you're ill, you can't stop perving, can you Ems?' she teased, wrapping her tightly in the towel and winking.

'It's not my fault my girlfriend is ridiculously hot, is it?' Emily replied, smiling weakly when Naomi batted her eyelids in response, and then drew Emily in for a hug. 'Ok hun, lets get you into some trackies, then we'll watch a movie and hope that you're finished throwing up. Deal?' Naomi whispered into Emily's ear, rubbing her hands up the redhead's back to keep the warmth from the bath in her body. Emily nodded, and they trailed into the bedroom, where Naomi dried off Emily and helped her into some trackies and her pig t-shirt, which Emily insisted made her feel better. She then threw on some clothes herself, and brushed and dried Emily's hair, keeping the dryer at a low power so it didn't give the redhead a worse headache than before.

Watching Naomi's concentration face in the dressing table mirror as she tried to brush and dry the bright red hair at the same time, Emily was filled with a feeling that she had grown to know, and yet still was overwhelmed every time it took hold. It was a feeling of being absolutely and unconditionally loved by the blonde girl behind her. She could literally feel her heart grow warm every time this feeling took over, and she knew without doubt that she was the luckiest girl on the planet. Naomi put down the hairdryer and Emily abruptly stood up and turned round to embrace the blonde, wrapping her arms tightly round her waist and breathing her in again.

'Thank you for loving me Naoms,' Emily whispered against her neck. Naomi pulled back and looked Emily in the eyes, moving her hands to cup the redhead's face and smiled brightly. 'I always have, it's hardly my fault that you're so fucking beautiful is it?' Naomi blushed slightly at her admission, but kept eye contact and then leant in to kiss Emily gently on the lips. 'Ok, romance over, lets lie down before you collapse, you're getting pale again.'

They made their way over to the bed, Naomi guiding Emily and helping her into it, tucking the duvet over her. The blonde then picked a DVD off the shelf which she had bought Emily for christmas, popped it into the player and turned their tiny television on. She climbed into bed beside Emily, letting the redhead snuggle into her side and enjoying the little sound of appreciation she made when she realised the DVD was Love Actually. And even though Naomi would never admit to it, watching an awful movie at 3 o'clock in the morning, she felt very much at peace. She traced gentle patterns onto Emily's side with her fingertips, and smiled contentedly. And despite Emily's raging headache and the war zone in her stomach, she smiled contentedly too, and drifted off into the first peaceful sleep she had had in a few days.

**I'm with Naomi on this one. Love Actually sucks. But I guess if Emily wants to watch it...**


End file.
